The field of the invention relates generally to engines and, more particularly, to a cooling device for use with engines.
At least some known engines include various rotating components that may be used to start and/or cool the engine. For example, engines for lawn mowers may include a flywheel, a flow control apparatus, such as a fan, a screen or grid, and an attachment device, such as a retainer or starter cup. The starter cup may be used to couple the components to a rotatable shaft. During operation, the shaft is rotated to enable the other rotating components to rotate via mechanical rotational energy. As such, the fan is able to generate a fluid flow that may be channeled to various portions of the engine to facilitate cooling the engine.
In at least some known power equipment engines, the rotating components are separate and distinct components. For example, in at least some known engines, the flywheel is a separate and distinct component from the fan. While the starter cup and the fan may be integrally formed together as a single component, the rotating screen is generally a separate and distinct component from the starter cup/fan component. Having such separate and distinct components, however, can be complex and inefficient. For example, several components may need to be purchased and assembled as opposed to simply purchasing a single component. Moreover, having separate and distinct components requires assembly and such assembly may be a time-consuming task.